Maybe
by kuro's girl
Summary: While wandering the halls of the Elsa, Andrew Cherenkov has another encounter with Shion. Slight Cherenkov/Shion if you squint


**I just started playing Xenosaga a month ago and I immediately was drawn to Cherenkov. He was a complex character and had a great back story. It's a shame that he's not in more fics. I also liked his relationship with Shion and I now happen to ship them.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the fic!**

Maybe

Andrew Cherenkov panted heavily as he slowly began sliding down the wall. The phasing in and out of existence after almost getting killed by the Gnosis was getting worse. Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to cry out in pain, but that would attract attention and attention was something that he didn't need at the moment. So there he sat, in a dimly lit hallway onboard the Elsa, wondering how much longer he was going to suffer.

"Commander?" He quickly looked up and saw that it was Shion. The pain had preoccupied his mind, causing him to not hear her footsteps. How was it that she always managed to find him just as something happened? "Commander, are you okay?" She touched his shoulder and he immediately stiffened. He wasn't use to physical contact unless he was wrapping his hands around someone's throat.

He violently jerked his shoulder away. "I'm fine." he answered gruffly.

"You don't look fine."

"What are you doing out here anyway?" He asked, wanting to change the subject.

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought a short walk would help." She stood up, offering a hand to him. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"I'm fine." he said as he stood up on his own.

"Well then, shall we walk together?"

Cherenkov inwardly sighed. She was very persistent. If he said yes, maybe that would get her off his back for a while. "That's fine."

He could barely see that she smiled and nodded. Even though he was already socially awkward to begin with, he found himself acting even more awkwardly when she was around. Although he didn't like having people pry into his business, he had to admit that it was quite nice that someone was genuinely concerned about him.

"The Elsa almost seems like a completely different place with most of the lights off." Shion commented trying to break the silence between them. Up to this point, the only sounds were the two of them walking and the low hum of the ship.

"I prefer it that way."

She paused, surprised that he had decided to say anything. "Why is that?"

"It's...strangely soothing." He remembered being in the holding cell on Ariadne, waiting for the personality reconditioning. During that time he didn't have to deal with anyone.

"Oh?"

Again with the uncomfortably personal questions. "I like being alone with my thoughts."

"I see. All of us need moments like that."

"Yeah..." How ironic was it that in his thirty six years of existence he never spent time with anyone like he was doing now. Well, there had been his wife, but the most he got out of her was the satisfaction of choking the life out of her.

"Commander, you're tense again." She was standing too close for his liking. There were a few inches of space between them, but he could still slightly feel her body heat. No one had ever gotten that close to him unless it was for some selfish ulterior motive. He could see her green eyes staring at him intently in the near darkness.

"I...appreciate your concern. But I keep telling you, there's nothing to worry about."

She sighed and stepped closer to him. He reflexively shrank back, breath catching in his throat. She was _too close_. His heartbeat sped up, fingers flexing. Shouldn't he be feeling angry about the invasion of his personal space?

"All right, I'll believe you." she finally said. He exhaled and felt more at ease. "Well, it seems like we've arrived back at my room."

"Uh, yeah."

Before she went in, she turned around to look at him. "I hope that you're able to get some sleep tonight."

"I'll manage." He stopped. Wasn't one supposed to say something to the person who tried to comfort them? He opened his mouth, then quickly closed it. Even with the drugs, he still wasn't good at this.

"It's all right, Commander." she said with an encouraging smile. "Good night."

"Good night."

The door shut and just like most of his life, he found himself alone. He had come to accept it, but it certainly didn't hurt to have some sort of human contact. If circumstances were different, perhaps he would have tried to make more of an effort to accept Shion's offer of friendship. Maybe.

**So yeah, I think I did a decent job at keeping them in character, but I'd still like some feedback.**


End file.
